(C) Texas Tribune This story was originally published by Texas Tribune and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . The Blast - June 4, 2025 [1] ['The Texas Tribune'] Date: 2025-06 3 days until the local election runoffs 18 days until the governor’s veto deadline Less than 1 in 7 bills made it to Abbott in 89(R) LESS THAN 1 IN 7 BILLS MADE IT TO ABBOTT IN 89(R) When it comes to legislative bill-passing, quantity doesn’t mean quality. That said, this year’s Legislature passed the lowest percentage of Senate and House bills since 1991, the earliest data available. Of the 8,719 bills introduced by lawmakers in either chamber this session, 13.9% made it to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. Among the big-ticket items that made it across the finish line were school vouchers, a THC ban, tighter bail laws and property tax cuts. This session’s passage rate was well below the 22% average for regular sessions, but only a slight drop from the 2021 and 2023 sessions, which saw 15.5% of bills make it through both chambers. The total doesn’t include bills passed during special sessions, which aren’t subject to the same dynamics as a regular session. It also doesn’t include resolutions, which are typically commemorations of certain days or companies, such as Whataburger, or recognitions of Texans — like Beyoncé. So, why the low number of bills passed this year? For one, the House leveraged the local and consent calendar less this session than it has previously, thanks in part to maneuvering by hardliners in the Republican caucus. The local and consent calendar allows the House to pass non-controversial bills en masse. Andrew Cates, an Austin attorney and expert on legislative procedure, says the typical priority-setting or bill-writing process can get delayed when a new speaker is elected, especially after a contentious race like the one that culminated in Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, winning the gavel. A speaker needs time to hire staff and assign new committee members and chairs, for example. However, the House’s committee assignments and the date of the first House calendar lined up perfectly with last session, even though Burrows got a delayed start. And although the Legislature passed fewer bills overall, senators filed more bills than in 2023, and their legislation passed at a slightly higher clip, from 19.1% last session to 19.3% this session. Cates also cited a Texas Legislative Council memo in January that noted an all-time high of bill drafting requests — 9,000 in the first month of the session. “I think it’s going to be probably closer to the new norm, not because they’re necessarily passing fewer bills, but they’re passing a lower percentage of those filed,” he said. [END] --- [1] Url: https://thetexastribune.beehiiv.com/p/the-blast-june-4-2025-5107d3433d614fec Published and (C) by Texas Tribune Content appears here under this condition or license: Used with Permission: https://www.texastribune.org/republishing-guidelines/. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/texastribune/